


Fate

by MomoMoon115



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Fluff, Hospitals, Injured Hartley, M/M, Red String of Fate, Set After 2x17, Soulmates, Vibing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-10 09:36:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6950872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MomoMoon115/pseuds/MomoMoon115
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cisco vibes something he never expected to be real and now he's tied to Hartley by this red string.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fate

Cisco had heard all of those old soulmate stories about people feeling their souls connecting when they met or those red string of fate stories. He’d always scoffed at the because he was a scientist those things could ever be true. They were simply Disney fairy tales for little kids. There was no one true love, or any such thing as soulmates. If there were he’s pretty sure they’d be easier to find like with some mark or something. Hell, why not just have the other person’s name written on their body somewhere. Cisco chuckled at the thought as he walked into the cortex. Hartley glanced up shyly and raised his hand in a wave. Hartley was still finding his place in Team Flash. He preferred to work alone, but took suggestions from Caitlin and himself every once and awhile. Cisco set a coffee cup on the table next to Hartley and patted his back after Hartley muttered a ‘thanks’ before typing away at the computer. Cisco took a seat next to him and observed as he went over the coding of the metahuman alert app. 

Barry flashed in just as the alarms went off. Caitlin ran out of designated hospital space that she was busy restocking as Barry flashed his suit on and flashed out once more. The three followed watching the data come in on their computers. Cisco’s eyes were busy following movements on the screen as Hartley typed. They both moved for the intercom at the same time when Cisco gasped as blue filled his vision. 

He looked around. It’d been awhile since he’d gotten an involuntary vibe. He looked around but nothing seemed different. He called out to the open air in confusion. He tilted his head as a figure appeared in front of him with a small smile. 

“Hartley?” Cisco asked. 

Vibe Hartley didn’t speak. He just motioned between himself and Cisco. Cisco called to him once more but Hartley just kept motioning. Cisco couldn’t tell what he was trying to tell him. He looked down and gasped. A silvery glint was tied to him.He lifted his hand to grab the string, but winced as the string cut his palm. His blood bled into the string and flowed all the way to Hartley, locking them together. Cisco’s eyes widened at the sight. He had no idea what this meant. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but was pulled out of his vibe with a sharp gasp. 

“Cisco? What happened?” Caitlin asked worriedly. 

“Huh? Oh nothing.” Cisco waved, but Caitlin grabbed his hand.

“Cisco, you’re bleeding.” 

Cisco looked at his hand with a surprised expression. “I-I don’t know how that happened.” 

“Did you vibe?” 

Cisco tuned to look at Hartley, but squinted his eyes. There was a transparent, red string coming straight from Hartley’s chest and leading straight to Cisco’s. Cisco stood up abruptly. 

“I-i’ll just run this under some water and bandage it okay?” he smiled nervously as he ran down the hall. 

He looked into the bathroom mirror and sighed as he rinsed his hand. He looked down at his chest to find the string pulled taut and pulling at him. He walked back to the cortex after bandaging his hand to find the string still connected to Hartley. He had to be watching too much anime. This couldn’t be that red string of fate right? There was no such thing. Soulmates didn’t exist. 

Over the next few days, the string tugged at Cisco’s heart. He found that whenever Hartley wasn’t feeling particularly good about something he would feel it as well. Hartley didn’t seem to feel Cisco’s own emotions though. It was strange. He did also find that as they spent more time together, the string get more opaque in color. Their shared emotions also darkened or brightened the color depending on if it was happy or sad. 

It all came to a head months later when Hartley was caught in an accident at CCPD. He was dropping something off for Joe, but a met had decided to hold up the police department. Hartley had been injured and Cisco just broke. He got to the hospital as fast as he could. Hartley was hooked up to breathing tubes and wires, but still tried to smile at him when he saw Cisco walk into the room. He lifted his hand for Cisco to take, but groaned at the stitches being pulled at. Cisco had stayed with him until well into the night, not even realizing that he’d fallen asleep until a nurse told him visiting hours were over. Cisco patted Hartley’s leg, left a note, and walked out the door. He hadn’t noticed until he was at home and getting ready for bed that the string had been glowing faintly. He fell asleep knowing that Hartley was sleeping soundly with the help of painkillers.  

Cisco woke up the next morning and headed straight for the hospital. Hartley wasn’t awake yet, so he waited in the waiting room until he was called. Cisco had lifted his hand to the string at his chest, attempting to pull at it, but his hand just kept going right through. He was called in shortly and greeted Hartley with a wide smile before handing him his favorite chocolate bar sneakily. Hartley chuckled at the act, looking at Cisco with fond eyes as he told him to sit. Cisco sat next to him again and the string glowed brightly. Cisco looked down in wonder as Hartley looked at him in confusion. 

“What are you looking at?”    

“Nothing!” Cisco smiled.

“Doesn’t seem like nothing.” Hartley raised an eyebrow. 

“Is the prodigal son getting jealous of empty space?” Cisco teased. 

Hartley shook his head with a laugh. The string glowed again and Cisco’s eyes flickered to the string connecting Hartley and himself. 

“You’re doing it again.” 

“No I’m not.” Cisco defended. 

Hartley sighed. “Cisco, what’s wrong?” 

“Nothing. Really.” 

“You’ve been out of it for months now. What happened?” 

Cisco bit his lip, but took Hartley hand in his. “Don’t...panic okay.” 

Hartley raised and eyebrow, but nodded as he laced their hands together. Cisco closed his eyes and felt himself move into a vibe. His hand tightened around Hartley’s and he swore he felt Hartley squeeze it just as hard. He opened his eyes to find Hartley across from him, looking down at the bright red string connecting them. He reached out to touch it, but pulled his hand back harshly as it pricked him. Cisco watched as Hartley’s blood traveled through the string, brightening the color. Cisco gasped as the blood reached him, not knowing what was happening. He knew Hartley felt it too as his hand was over his heart. 

“Is that-” Hartley was cut off as Cisco pulled out of the vibe.

Cisco waited for Hartley to say something, growing more nervous with every second of silence. 

“Was that...are we...I don’t know what to say.” Hartley said finally. 

“I don’t either.” Cisco admitted. “We’ve been connected for months. Maybe longer.” 

Hartley looked down at himself and noticed the glint as the string darkened. “I- I see it. It’s so dark in color.” 

“Probably confusion or sadness. It changes with our emotions.” 

“That’s how you knew about the day my parents kicked me out.

Cisco nodded sheepishly. “Sorry, it just got so dark, almost like blood. I figured it might have been a really touchy subject.” 

Hartley smiled softly. “No, no it was fine. You helped.” 

Cisco smiled back, hands clenching in his lap. 

“So, where do we go from here?” Hartley asked. 

“I- I don’t know. Just the thought of ‘soulmates’ seemed so far-fetched to me before, but it’s the only thing I could think of.” 

“I should have known.” Hartley chuckled to himself. “You were always the one that was able to get under my skin. The one I wanted to beat. That connection explains so much now. The decisions I’ve made, the anger I felt toward you, the competitiveness.” 

“Well, apparently we’re something more.” Cisco teased lightheartedly. 

Hartley nodded, looking down at his chest. “Apparently.”  

“So…” Cisco tried. 

“So” Hartley teased. 

“Don’t make me say it.” Cisco warned. 

“If I’m your soulmate I will make you say it.” Hartley grinned, wincing at the pain in his side. 

Cisco muttered the words under his breath.

“What, Cisquito, I can’t hear you.” 

“Would you like to go out some time?!” Cisco said exaggeratedly as Hartley smirked.

A blush covered Cisco’s face. 

“Come on, Cisquito, your powers out us in this situation.” Hartley grinned. 

“Just answer the question, Hart.” 

“Hart? We’ve delved into pet names already?” 

“Look who’s talking ‘Cisquito!’” Cisco shot back and Hartley’s eyes widened. 

He turned away with a blush dusting his cheeks. “Yes, I’d like to go out with you sometime.” 

Cisco kissed Hartley’s palm for show and Hartley rolled his eyes. 

“Yuck! Oh, and we’re going for coffee when I’m out of here. Their coffee sucks.”    


Cisco laughed and nodded. 


End file.
